Press Release - Murphy Welcomes New Era of Nuclear Power to Southwestern Pennsylvania

Murphy Welcomes New Era of Nuclear Power to Southwestern Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, PA, Oct 20 - With the acquisition of Westinghouse Electric by Toshiba Corp. earlier this week, Congressman Tim Murphy (PA-18) speaking today at a ceremony at Westinghouse's Monroeville location applauded it as an opportunity for Southwestern Pennsylvania to continue as a world leader in nuclear technology.

"With the expansion of the nuclear industry in Southwestern Pennsylvania, along with the engineers and scientists produced at local universities, we are on the verge of a huge breakthrough in gaining energy independence," said Congressman Tim Murphy. "With Westinghouse and Toshiba joining together, this partnership results a share of more than a quarter of the global market, the largest in the world. We are all proud of what Westinghouse has accomplished and the additional high-paying, high-skilled jobs it will bring to Southwestern Pennsylvania. They have already announced that they expect to hire 500 more people for such positions over the next five years.

"In Pennsylvania, 37 percent of all power is generated with nuclear energy. To keep our state's economy growing and strong, we will need to continue to build upon new sources of power. Nuclear energy, of all energy sources, is the safest, cleanest, and most environmentally friendly.

"Congress has and will continue to promote the use of nuclear energy. In last year's energy bill, $2.95 billion was approved for nuclear research and development along with incentives to build more nuclear plants. I will continue to ensure Southwestern Pennsylvania stays in the forefront of the development of this technology."

http://murphy.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=51787